Awakened - T Stoll - Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

I

The dream slips away from me, as it always does. The more I hold onto it, the more it slips through my fingers like sand.

Sometimes, I get bits and pieces. A certain smell of cigarettes'. A hazy image of a face.
But the more I think about it, the more I confuse myself.

He had locs. Or maybe it was just thick hair?  He had brown eyes. Or maybe they were green?

The more I think about it, the more it evades me. A teaser of what I could remember, but what I don't get to as well.

Sunlight streams through the open window. The honking of horns from the traffic below pulls me from the last hope I had that maybe I could sleep in.

I roll over. Taking a deep breath and sitting up in my bed. Today's the first day back. Shit. The thought of going back to school with Gina and her goons... Well. It's enough to make me puke. Her stupid smug smile and fake ass tears. 

I glare at the letter on my bedside table, detailing my expulsion. 

For the safety of the students, we ask that she comes back in 18 days with evidence of counseling and anger therapy.

It's all bullshit. The last thing I want is to deal with her. Crying victim about how I mercilessly attacked her. If I'm not careful, I'll get shipped off to Yancy Academy or Harper Boarding School. My school is for the troubled but those are for the troubled. 

My bedroom door swings open. I jerk my head to the side, facing my mom. Judging by the sympathetic look on her face, she caught me staring at the paper. "Happy birthday?" She asks. She sighs. Faltering as she walks over. "The wax is melting onto the cupcake... I don't think it's edible anymore."

I feel my anger settle back down as I look at the small cupcake and the quickly melting candle.

"It's still good to make a wish?" She suggests. "Just go by-"

"-by genie rules." I finish. Having heard the same rules every birthday.  "-No death wishes. No love wishes. No wishes for more wishes."

She nods. "And no world peace or any of that BS. This is a candle, not Jesus."

I laugh. "Okay um..." My mind falters as I try to think of a good wish.

She rocks on her toes. "This candle is melting quickly. Your wish is going away in three..."

What do I want? Maybe for Gina Gorgometto to fall off the face of the earth?

"...two..."

No, I'm pretty sure that counts as a death wish.

"..two and a half...."

What do I want?

"...one..."

I know what I want. The corners of my lips tug up into a smile. I take a deep breath, quickly blowing out the stub of a candle.

"Barely made it!" She exclaims. "Now that you're 16, do you feel older?"

I think for a moment before shaking my head. "Not really. I just feel like people might actually start holding me accountable for my actions now."